


Where Are The Polar Bears?

by HeyGoodLookin



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Gen, JJ tries, Pre season one, also because this show is a mood, because its me, kie is a good friend, like probably a few weeks before the start of the season, lots of feelings, will the slow burn ever end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24711343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyGoodLookin/pseuds/HeyGoodLookin
Summary: The Pogues try and keep information from JJ and it doesn't go according to plan.Kie ends up picking up the pieces.Or: Kie helps JJ sort out some sad feels. JJ makes Kie smile.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 88





	Where Are The Polar Bears?

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, long time no fic.   
> I've had this idea in my head for a couple days now and had time to write it today so yay me.   
> Please let me know what ya think!   
> Feedback is so amazing and I'm so happy when y'all comment :)   
> Thanks so much !!

It happened three days into summer vacation. School was out, eleventh grade was already a distant memory, and next to adventure, freedom was the most eccencial part of life. The Pogues had agreed to meet at the chateau to go fishing, but John B’s head wasn’t focussed on the catch of the day. He texted and called Pop and Kie frantically, insisting they come early.

Pope arrived first, shortly followed by a frantic Kie.

“What the hell, dude!” Kie ran up to where Pope and John B were sitting on the porch steps. “Seventeen texts and eight missed calls?”

“You weren’t picking up,” John B was staring straight ahead.

“I was working the breakfast shift.”

“I know,” said John B. “But this is important.”

“Where’s JJ?” Kie asked.

John B looked up at the mention of his best friend’s name. “Finishing up some yard work for Denis. He said he’d meet us around noon.”

“So why bring us all here at the crack of dawn?” Pope asked.

John B went into the chateau and came back with a stack of news papers.

“What the fuck?” Kie eyed him suspiciously.

“Read,” John B chucked them both a copy of the local paper.

“Local market seeking vendors,” Pope read slowly.

“Keep going,” said John B.

“Dentist office re-opens after—“

“Keep going.”

“Martha’s home cooking offers—“

“Jesus, Pope, right there!” John B pointed further down the page.

“Collision on highway ends in fatality…” Pope read quietly. “A collision in the late hours of Sunday evening resulted in one injury and a fatality. After losing control of the vehicle, the driver at fault collided with an oncoming car. Police suspect alcohol was a contributing factor.”

“Keep going,” John B ran his hands over his face.

“Caroline Mayb— oh shit,” Pope stared down at the newspaper.

“Oh my God,” Kie held her breath. “Was she the driver?”

Pope nodded while he continued silently reading. “Drunk driving and lost control…” his voice trailed off.

“He can’t find out,” John B paced back and forth.

“He’s gonna find out eventually,” said Pope.

“Not if we buy all the papers from every store from our end of town,” said John B.

“That’s crazy!” Pope cried. “If he doesn’t read it, he’s bound to hear it from someone.”

“I dunno,” said Kie. “Nobody around here’s heard from her in years. They probably don’t even care.”

“Plus, if we keep it from him, we can ease into telling him. It won’t be a shock,” said John B.

“Right, because finding out your friends have been hiding the truth from you isn’t a shock at all,” said Pope.

“He can’t find out like this,” Kie looked down at the newspaper.

“It’ll kill him,” John B said weakly. “He almost flunked math and English and he had to go home for clothes yesterday.”

“Shit,” Pope cursed. “Fine. I’ll try and get as many as I can from the gas stations.”

“I’ll go home and…” Kie stopped speaking as a familiar bike appeared through the bush. “Oh God,” her voice shook as JJ hopped off his bike with a grin.

“Hey!” He cried happily. “Finished up early at Denis’. Thought I’d swing by and— Jesus, what the fuck is your problem?”

“Me?” Pope shifted so his body was in front of the stack of news papers.

“Yeah, you,” JJ walked towards them. “Your acting weirder than usual.”

“I’m cool!” Pope cried.

“Ooookay,” JJ took a step closer. Kie saw faint bruises on his face and neck (the result of his trip home the night before, no doubt) and swallowed thickly.

“Why don’t we grab a bite to eat before we go anywhere?” Kie stood in front of him in the hopes of steering him away.

“I kinda just want a beer and some cartoons,” JJ smirked. “But you’re welcome to join me if you’re feeling lonesome.”

“JJ…” Kie blocked his way again.

“Jesus, Kie, what the hell is going on?”

“We could go surfing? Or beg my parents for leftover hash browns?”

JJ brushed past her and stopped dead at the pile of newspapers John B and Pope were unsuccessfully trying to block. “Guys?” He tried to reach over them. “The fuck is this?”

“Listen JJ,” John B’s gaze was gentle. “We didn’t want you to know.”

“Know what?”

Pope reached behind him and handed JJ a newspaper.

“Pope!” Kie cried.

“What,” he watched JJ’s eyes scan the headlines. “He’s gonna find out anyway.”

When JJ’s eyes focussed on the article featuring his dead mother, Kie felt her throat close.

“JJ…” She approached him slowly. “I’m sure there’s gonna be a funeral and—“

“I’m not going,” JJ’s jaw clenched.

“But she’s your mom,” said John B gently.

“Would you go to your mom’s funeral?” JJ threw the paper to the ground.

“Valid point.”

Kie reached a hand out.

“Don’t,” JJ put both hands in front of him. “Stop it with this shit.”

“JJ, you can’t bottle this up,” Kie said softly.

“Oh yeah?” JJ laughed half heartedly. “Watch me.”

“JJ please…”

“Seriously Kie, just lay off. Why would I get all emotional over something like this? So what? My mom’s dead. I haven’t seen her since third grade anyway.”

“JJ,” Kie’s voice broke.

“Jesus if you guys are gonna get all sentimental and shit, I’m gonna catch a few waves,” JJ ran a hand through his hair and placed his hat back on his head.

“Dude!” John B called after his friend. JJ simply waved goodbye and got back on his bike.

“Well that went really well,” Pope muttered.

“What did you expect?” John B glared down at the newspapers.

“He shouldn’t be alone,” said Kie.

John B nodded feebily. “I’ll go.”

“No,” Kie looked at her two friends. “I’ll go.”

“Why you?” Pope asked.

“Because. When my grandma died last year, he was the first person to come find me. After the funeral he sat with me for hours and just let me talk. I want him to know that I’d do the same for him.”

“Okay,” John B nodded.

“You text us if you need anything, okay?” Pope

“Yeah,” Kie let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

It turned out, finding JJ was easy. For all that he was spontaneous and filled with boyish energy, he was terribly predictable. At least Kie thought so. But maybe that was because she knew him better than anyone else.

She found him by an abandoned dock drinking a beer that he had undoubtedly stolen from the local vendor. Kie knew he sensed her approaching by the way he body stiffened and his shoulders tensed.

“Hey,” she mumbled. JJ waved weakly, but didn’t turn around. “I can go if you really want to be alone…but I just don’t think you should be alone right now.”

Kie watched JJ down the rest of his beer in one gulp and then toss the can into a nearby trash bin.

“Whatever,” he let his feet hang over the dock.

“I know you hate hearing it and I know you’re gonna get pissed but…I’m sorry,” Kie sighed as she sat down next to JJ. “I’m really sorry. You don’t deserve any of this.”

“But yet it still keeps happening. Go figure, huh?” JJ kept his gaze fixed on the water and away from Kie.

“It shouldn’t.”

“But it does,” said JJ. “Look, Kie, it’s not big deal. I’m used to shit hitting he fan.”

Kie hated how casually he said that. She hated how he brushed off his pain like it was nothing but an every day occurrence.

“You deserve so much better, you know that, right?” Kie crossed her legs and faced him.

“Sure.”

“JJ, please—“

“What?” JJ finally faced Kie. His eyes were red and his jaw clenched. God, he was just holding it together and it almost broke Kie completely. “What do you want from me? Do you want me to throw a fit and cry uncontrollably ‘cause my mom died?”

“No, JJ,” Kie said softly. “God no. I just wish you’d talk to us. Talk to me. You know, like when my grandma died and you listened to me talk.”

“I don’t need to talk, Kie.”

“You can’t deal with this all on your own,” Kie put her hand overtop of his. “I won’t let you.”

They were silent for a beat.

“You know what I keep thinking about?” JJ turned his focus back to the water.

“What?”

“What if she was coming to see me? I mean, the car was coming towards the island. Why the hell would she be coming here?”

Kie blinked rapidly. “I dunno, JJ. Maybe she was just wanted to get off the main land for a bit.”

“Sure,” said JJ. “You don’t even believe that.”

“Yeah…” Kie didn’t know what to say and she felt like an idiot. She’d come to give him advice and talk to him and here she was sitting mute with confusion.

“You don’t have to do this, Kie.”

“What?”

“Babysit my feelings.”

“That’s bullshit, JJ, and you know it.”

“Everything’s bullshit,” JJ took his cap off to run a hand through his hair again. “This whole rat race is bullshit. I mean, you know that end of the year science project we had to do?”

“Yeah,” Kie studied his expression carefully.

“Well John B did real good on it. Got an eighty-five on it. Anyway, he was so fucking chuffed the other day and came back to the chateau to show his dad and you know what he did? He told John B to go surf for a while ‘cause he was busy in his office.”

“Shit,” Kie cursed bitterly.

“Yeah, it’s shit. John B threw his project away after that. I mean, I took it back out and put by his dad’s supper, but I doubt he’s gonna care or pay any attention.”

“Maybe he will,” Kie sighed. “It’s not like my folks care either.”

“Yeah, they only care if it’s about what they want.”

“Exactly,” Kie stared up at JJ.

“It’s bullshit,” he took in a shaky breath. “You know, I used to think you had it so good, being rich and all that, but hell, you’ve got your own shit, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Kie paused and noticed a bruise forming on JJ’s shoulder. “When did that happen?” She brushed her hand over his injury softly. JJ flinched slightly at the contact. He wasn’t expecting it to be so feather light and god damn _kind_.

“It’s nothin’.”

“JJ…” Kie put an arm around his shoulders slowly and pulled him towards her. He didn’t follow her cues without hesitation. He held back slightly and jolted when both of her arms encircled him. Finally, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief and relaxed against her. “It’s gonna be okay,” Kie mumbled into his hair as she stroked it. “You’re gonna be fine. We just gotta last two more years and we can take off. Go anywhere we want.”

“You mean, you can, Kie.”

“No!” Kie pulled back so their foreheads were almost touching. “No, I mean you, JJ. You’re clever and smarter than you think. You’re a good guy. You know I’d go anywhere with you, right? I’d leave in a heartbeat. I’d take off and go to Paris with you for all I care.”

“Paris?” JJ smirked. “No thanks.”

“Fine,” Kie rolled her eyes.

“Too cliche romantic for us. How about Switzerland or fuck, I’ve never been to Canada.”

“Too damn cold up there,” Kie couldn’t help but giggle.

“But aren’t there polar bears up there or something?”

“How do you know that?”

“Saw it on National Geographic once,” JJ chuckled at Kie’s shocked expression. “What? Did ya actually think I’d crack open a book?”

“Maybe one day,” Kie let herself relax against JJ again. They held each other for a time and Kie was sure she felt JJ cry once, but she didn’t acknowledge it. She let him keep it hidden for the time being. For now it was enough that he was confiding in her. Small steps. She followed his cues, pulling back only when he made the move. They looked at each other for a moment and JJ grinned every so slightly.

“Thanks Kie,” he gave her a light squeeze again.

“No problem,” Kie went back to facing towards the water. They kept their hands connected, though. They didn’t acknowledge it, but they also didn’t stop it. “You know who you remind me of?” Kie kicked her flip flop through the water.

“Who?”

“Huckleberry Finn.”

“Who the fuck is that?” JJ stared out at the water.

“Mark Twain? The adventures of Huckleberry Finn?” Kie questioned as JJ shook his head. “Oh, well he’s this kid who’s always getting into trouble and goes on adventures—“

“Sounds like me,” JJ chuckled. “His folks messed up too?”

“You could say that,” Kie tried not to frown.

“Maybe I’ll actually read it.”

“You should!” Said Kie. “You’d like it.”

“It might take me a good year to read.”

“I could read it to you?” Kie offered before thinking. JJ blinked at her for a second before bursting out laughing. Kie joined him soon after and, without realizing it, rested her head on his shoulder. It hurt, but JJ didn’t have the heart to stop her. Not when she was smiling like the sun itself.

“Meet any decent guys at the party the other night?” JJ smirked down at her.

Kie rolled her eyes. “Hell no,” she muttered.

“Tell you what, if we’re both single at thirty, let’s get married.”

“Married?” Kie laughed out loud with JJ. “That’s quite a commitment there, JJ.”

“Okay fine, common law. We can split the chateau.”

“You’re so generous.”

“I’ll even hand you a beer when you come home from saving the turtles.”

“Oh honey, you shouldn’t have,” Kie smiled in spite of herself.

“Kie?”

“Yeah?” Kie held her breath as she looked up at him.

JJ looked into her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Nothin’,” he put an arm around her and gave her another squeeze. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Kie replied softly. They looked back out at the water. Just when Kie thought JJ had perhaps dozed off against her shoulder, he mumbled something into her hair.

“Where are those polar bears?”

Kie smiled. “Churchill, I think.”

“Where’s that?”

“I dunno,” said Kie.

“Well, figure it out and I’ll take you there, okay?”

“Okay,” Kie couldn’t see JJ’s face but she knew he was smiling.


End file.
